Fire-escape apparatus.



3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY 21,1903.

F. HILLIER.

FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

FREIJRMK HILLIEB,

PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

F. HILLIER. FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.16,1902.

I N0 MODEL 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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m 734,230. .PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

F. HILLIER.

FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION rmm AUG. 16, 1902. N0 MODEL. a sums-sums.

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tfi L11 1 l InvenZoz FREBRMK. ILLIER Altar-near UNITED ST TES- Patented July 21, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FlRE-ESCAP E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,230, dated July 21, 1903. Application filed August 16, 1902 Serial 1T0. 119.959. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that '1', FREDRICK HILLIER,

wood and coal salesman, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at John street, \Voollahra, near Sydney, in the State of New South Wales and Com monwealth ofAnstralia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escape Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fire-escape apparatus by which are provided for tall buildings devices whereby persons may escape from ordinary windows or from parapet's or the like.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood, reference will now be made to the drawings herewith, in'which- Figure l. is a perspective view of the front of two buildings to which the various modifications of constructions of these improvements in fire-escape apparatus are seen affixed and in use. Fig. 2 isa front perspective, and Fig. 3 a section, of the upper window to which the gear or apparatus is afiixed, while Fig. 4 is a front perspective corresponding to Fig. 3 of modified apparatus, showing also in dotted lines said apparatusin use. Fig. 5 is a front view of a building to which is affixed a further modification of the apparatus wherein the upper attachment is a movable one, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged end View of upper attachment. Fig. 7 is a front'perspective of apparatus when it is necessary to carry the lines, and a guy aboveobstructions in the roadway, and Figs. 8 and 9 are details of the same.

In the simpler constructiona cage or hasket adapted to carry one. person is used. This cage or basket 10 is stored in a convenient receptacle or chamber llon the groundfloor. This basket is adapted to run or travel on a guide or guy 2, stored on a roll or drum 13 at or near the window and adapted to be placed in working position and tension, as hereinafter described. A reevingrope 14 passes through a blocker pulley 15, affixed on or under the exit-window frame, and its two ends, passing through or over guide pulleysor sheaves 16 and having a weight 17 threaded thereon, are wound on a roll or drum 18 in a casing 19 convenient to the exit-window, where with the weight it remains until required to be used. The bot tom 20 of the casing is hinged and is fastened by link 21 taking over hook 22, which in turn hooks on lever 23, to whose other end is fastened the trip line or oord'24say piano or bell wire. This trip-line passes through a protecting casing or pipe 25 to within a mans reach from the ground and terminates in a bell-pull in a glass-fronted box 26. The free end of the guy 12 is fastened or hooked to the reeving-line 14 below the pulley 15, as shown.

On its being necessary by reason of a fire in the building to use this improved escape apparatus the glass front of box 26 is broken and a pull on the line 24 given. This pull causes the lever 23 to free the hook 22, from which the link 21 will then fall. The bottom or door 20 being thus free will open on its hinge. The weight 17 having no support will then fall and running in the loopor bight of reeving-cord 14, as shown in Fig. 4, will unwind that cord from the drum 18. When the cord 14 reaches the ground, it forms a continuous loop or carrier between the ground and the block 15. fast to the right-hand rope of the loop, and then by hauling on the left-hand rope the whip 27 is carried up and reeved through the block 15, and at the same time the end of the guy 12, which is also attached to the loop, is lowered to the ground, where it is'inade fast by a hook or an eye to a corresponding holdfast screwed into a covered orifice 28 on the ground, as shown in Fig. .1. Before making this guy 12 fast, however, it is passed through the runner or eye 29 of the cage or basket 10, removed from its store or chamber 11 for the purpose of forming part of firemens outfit.

The rope 27, which reeved through block or pulley v15 is hauled down by the reevingrope 14, is also attached to the runner 29 and is used to hoist the cage or basket to the exitwindow or by manipulation of the guy 12, as well as of the whip 27, to any other window within reasonable distance, as shown by dotted lines. v

In the modifiedconstruction of apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4 an arch or frame on the parapet of the structure holds the drums 13 of the guys 12, whichpass through the wall of said frame. The reeving and trip gear is similar to that just described. The free ends of the two guys 12 are fastened or A whip-rope 27 is made hooked to the reeving-rope 14. The runner 29 of the cage or basket 10 is a frame, as shown. The lower ends of guys 12 are fastened to rings or hooks, which also fasten down the winch 31 for the whiprope 27. These rings or hooks 32 are screwed into sockets in covered orifices 33 in the roadway. The operations and motions in this case are similar to those in the apparatus before described. Fig. 4 in full lines shows the apparatus after the trip-line 24 has been pulled and the weight 17 is lowering with the reeving-line 14. The dotted lines show the cage or basket 10 hoisted to the top and ready to receive persons from the parapet, to which a stairway gives free access. I

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 the reeving-rope and appurtenances are as here in before described, and they bear similar numerals of reference and are inclosed in a similar casing 19; but the block or pulley is afiixed to a carrier 34, which runs upon rails 35, affixed to the wall of the building by brackets 36 and bolts 37. This carrier has rollers 38 and 39 and supports the roll or drum 13 for the guide or guy 12, and it further has the two ends 40 and 41 of a hauling-rope fastened to it, these ends leading around sheaves 42 to a winch or Windlass 43 in a convenient position near the ground and having as well as a handle a long endless line for operating the carrier. The carrier 34 is normally on its railsin the position most convenientand close to casing 19. Communication is obtained in the manner before described, and then by hauling upon the winch 43 in either direction the whole of the gear may he traveled to that place on the building where it is most required.

Where there are obstructions, such as telegraph and telephone wires or electric tramgearing, &c., in the roadway, it is necessary to pass the reeving-rope and guy clear of them. This is accomplished by having a permanent guy or running way 44 of strong piano-wire permanently stretched from between or near the block 15 to the top of a post 45 on the other side of the roadway or to a convenient pointon the opposite building. Here a releasing mechanism is fixed, consisting of a trigger 46, against which strikes the weight 17 in its descent, and so causing holding-lever 47 to lift from the hook 48, which holds the looped end of wire 44, which thus loosed will slip olf and allow the weight 17 to fall to the ground. When the weight 17 has to run on a wire 44, it is held by extension 49 of the bottom 20 of casing 19, so that it will be released, as before described, by the pull on line 24.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is l. A fire-escape comprising a guy-rope normally held in close proximity to the point of descent, a support near said point, a looped reeving-rope movable in said support and connected to said guy-rope, and a whip-rope adapted to be connected to said reeve-rope and carried onto said support during the descent of the guy-rope, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A fire-escape comprising aguy-rope normally held in close proximity to the point of descent, a support near said point, a looped reeving-rope movable in said supportand connected to said guy-rope, a weight on said reeve, a support for said weight, means for removing said weight-support, and a whiprope adapted to be connected to the reevesupport by said reeve-rope during the descent of the guy-rope, substantially as described.

3. A fire-escape comprisinga drum mounted in close proximity to the point of descent,

a guy-rope connected to and normally wound on said drum, a support in close proximity to said drum, a looped reeving-rope connected to said support and guy-rope, a drum for said reeving-rope, a weight'slidably mounted on the reeving-rope between its drum and support, a support for said weight, means for releasing the weight-support, and a whip-rope adapted to be connected to the reevesupport during the descent of the guy-rope, substantially as described.

4. A fire-escape com prising a drum mounted in close proximity to the pointof descent, a guy-rope connected to and normally wound on said drum, a block in close proximity to said drum, a looped reeving-rope mounted on the block and connected to said guy-rope, a drum on which the reeving-rope is wound, a weight on said reeving-rope between its drum and block, a hinged support for said weight, a catch for the free end of said hinged support, a line for operating the catch, anda whip-rope adapted to be carried over the block by the reeving-rope during the descentof the guy-rope, substantially as described.

5. A fire-escape comprising a guy-rope mounted in close proximity to the point of descent, a block adjacent to said rope, a looped reeving-rope adapted to run on said block and connected to said guy-rope, a drum carrying the reeving-rope, a weight slidable on the reevingrope mounted between the drum and block, a hinged support adjacent to the drum, means for locking the support, means for unlocking the same, a guide-rope for the guy-rope, a support for the guiderope, means operated by the weight for releasing said support, and a whip-rope adapted to be carried over the block by the reevingrope during the descent of the guy-rope, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDRIOK I-IILLIER.

Witnesses:

FRED WALSH, PERCY NEVVELL. 

